Emperor Nero's golden palace, the walls of medieval Siena and the foundations of Venice will all receive sorely needed restoration funds after Italy approved a planto spend €300m ($325m/£220m) to protect its cultural heritage. Caring for thousands of years' worth of art and architecture is a perennial problem in Italy, and many sites have been left in a fragile or decayed state by public spending cuts and mismanagement.

The walls protecting Siena are among the monuments set to be restored, at a cost of €2.2m over the next three years, the culture ministry said. The investment plan was unveiled shortly after prime minister Matteo Renzi's government passed a 2016 budget that increases spending on culture, including a handout to 18-year-olds to spend on activities like cinema trips.

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Source: http://www.theguardian.com/